My Oasis Therapeutic Alternative Provision

My Oasis Therapeutic Alternative Provision

Address: 97 Heaton Street, Standish, Wigan, Greater Manchester, WN6 0DA Unique reference number (URN): 151387

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, pupils are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect schools for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The school has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. All legal requirements are met. Not met: The school has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met. Insufficient evidence: Inspectors were unable to gather sufficient evidence to judge whether safeguarding standards are met.

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Achievement Expected standard

Following significant periods of absence from education, pupils achieve well overall. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those known, or previously known, to children's social care. Pupils' achievement is reflected in the progress pupils make through the curriculum from their individual starting points. Often, pupils move from non-attendance and prolonged social isolation to engaging positively with their learning. They complete qualifications across a broad range of subjects and move forwards to meaningful destinations with success.

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Achievement Expected standard

Pupils who arrive with unidentified needs benefit from the school’s work to identify these. Typically, pupils with SEND and those who are disadvantaged or vulnerable achieve well. The school ensures that pupils are well prepared for their next steps in education, employment or training. Some pupils make a successful transition back to their mainstream school as a result of the support that they receive.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Typically, pupils join the school having been absent from education for significant periods of time. Leaders work with care and compassion to remove any barriers to attendance that pupils may have. This includes building effective partnerships with parents, carers and pupils’ mainstream schools. Pupils develop a sense of belonging towards the provision, and their attendance often improves. Leaders have high expectations of pupils' attendance, including for a minority of pupils who are often absent. These pupils know that the school will continue to support them so that their attendance improves over time.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Behaviour across the school is notably positive. Staff understand and implement the school's behaviour policy well. Pupils who have a history of significant difficulties in previous settings generally present as calm, self-controlled and respectful young people. Serious consequences are rarely needed. Derogatory language and bullying are uncommon. Pupils typically conduct themselves well within a safe and orderly environment. Staff have consistently high expectations for pupils' behaviour. The positive relationships that result are visible in the way that pupils interact with each other and with the adults who support them. Staff know pupils very well.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The proprietor has ensured that the curriculum is ambitious, well designed and appropriately matched to the needs and interests of pupils. The curriculum prioritises pupils’ therapeutic needs alongside a suitable balance of academic and vocational learning. Staff work successfully in partnership with external providers to enhance the school’s curriculum offer. Pupils value these additional opportunities, which set them up well for their next steps.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The curriculum sets out with clarity the important knowledge that pupils should learn across all subjects. Generally, teachers use their secure subject knowledge to design and adapt activities that help pupils to build their knowledge well over time. This is reflected in the work that most pupils produce. Staff make regular checks on what pupils know and remember. On occasion, the information that the school holds about the gaps and misconceptions that some pupils have is not used as effectively as it could be.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The school is alert to pupils’ needs across communication and language, reading and mathematics. The support that the school provides helps pupils to access the wider curriculum with growing confidence. This is where they may have struggled in the past.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders identify pupils’ needs quickly and accurately. Leaders draw on a range of therapeutic assessments that directly inform each pupil’s educational pathway and package of support. Staff keep this support under regular review to ensure that, overall, pupils succeed. This is also the case for vulnerable pupils, including those who have previously attended many settings. At times, staff do not use to full advantage the detailed information that the school holds about each pupils’ therapeutic needs. There are moments when pupils do not receive the precise adjustments needed to support their learning. As a result, some pupils do not achieve as well as they could.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders actively secure access to a wide range of external specialists. This ensures that pupils receive the necessary support for their behaviour and wellbeing. Personal education plans help to improve in a meaningful and sustained way the opportunities and experiences of pupils who are looked after. Leaders ensure that pupils access regular mentoring, support and interventions. This helps pupils to feel valued and to make progress in key areas of their development. Leaders prioritise pupils' wellbeing. Typically, pupils feel settled and ready to tackle new challenges with the help of staff who care for them well.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The school makes appropriate use of one alternative provision.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The proprietor holds an ambitious vision for the school. It has a precise understanding of the school’s context, strengths and priorities for development. The proprietor ensures that the independent school standards are met consistently. Leaders take swift action to address areas where improvement is required. For example, they have addressed gaps in the quality of teaching.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Staff feel valued. Their workload is well managed and their wellbeing is given appropriate priority. Generally, the training that staff receive helps them to deliver the curriculum well and to provide effective support for pupils’ wider needs. Relationships with parents and commissioning schools are highly constructive. Leaders work in partnership with other agencies to secure the support that pupils need. Parents hold the provision in high regard and value the difference that staff make to the life chances of their children.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Together, the proprietor and staff have high aspirations for and make decisions in the best interests of pupils. They demonstrate a sound moral purpose, and they are tenacious in pursuit of the very best provision and outcomes for pupils.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

The personal development programme is successful. It is broad, coherently planned and integrated with the school’s therapeutic offer. Through their skilled pastoral work, staff ensure that pupils benefit from a holistic approach to their academic, personal and social development. Pupils grow into confident and independent young people.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

The relationships and sex education and personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education curriculums are well considered. They are tailored to the specific lived experiences of the pupils. Pupils know the features of a healthy relationship and how to keep themselves safe. Typically, pupils develop an understanding of those characteristics protected by law. Pupils generally understand fundamental British values, such as democracy. Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain. Staff ensure that pupils engage in a wide range of debates. For example, pupils discuss rules and laws in society. They listen carefully to the views of others. They learn to shape their views about the world and to understand the challenges that different people may face. Some pupils access My Oasis for a short period of time or for part of the week. At times, these pupils do not develop a sufficiently secure knowledge of some aspects of the PSHE curriculum.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders ensure that pupils access appropriate careers education. Links with local professionals provide pupils with a positive experience of the world of work. Pupils move on to destinations that reflect their plans and interests. Enrichment activities, community projects and outreach experiences broaden pupils’ horizons. Pupils develop their talents and build their sense of identity. For example, they put their newfound skills to good use when they organise bake sales and tend to the school garden. Through the school council, pupils have a genuine voice in shaping their school. They are ready for adulthood and to make a positive contribution to society.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils at My Oasis Therapeutic Alternative Provision arrive having experienced significant disruption to their education and wellbeing. Many have had prolonged periods outside formal education. What distinguishes this provision is the speed and consistency with which staff help pupils to overcome those circumstances. Pupils feel safe, known and valued here. This is evident in the way they conduct themselves, speak about the school and engage with learning. The relationships between staff and pupils are built on trust and mutual respect. Pupils respond to this environment with growing confidence, self-control and resilience.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils achieve well from their individual starting points. This includes for disadvantaged and vulnerable pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They benefit from individual curriculum pathways that are highly tailored to their interests and abilities. This helps pupils to value and enjoy their learning where they may have found this difficult in the past. The personal development programme is successful. It equips pupils with practical life skills, an understanding of their own wellbeing and a clear sense of their identity and place in the world. Pupils benefit from the broader experiences that the school makes available to them. Pupils are calm and respectful throughout the school. They attend regularly as staff ensure that any barriers are identified and removed. Bullying is rare and dealt with quickly and effectively should it occur. The high staff-to-pupil ratio reflects leaders’ commitment to

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

meeting pupils' individual needs, such as those set out in their education, health and care plans. Typically, pupils with SEND and those who face barriers to their learning or wellbeing benefit from all that the provision has to offer.

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Next steps

The proprietor should ensure that staff make routine use of the curriculum assessment information that the school holds about what pupils know and remember, to help all pupils to build their knowledge securely. The proprietor should ensure that the detailed findings from the school's therapeutic assessments are shared more systematically with all staff, so that the precise adjustments needed to support each pupil's learning are understood and applied consistently across the provision. The proprietor should ensure that pupils who spend a shorter time at the provision develop an appropriate depth of knowledge of the personal, social, health and economic education curriculum content.

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About this inspection

Inspectors carried out this standard inspection under section 109(1) and (2) of the Education and Skills Act 2008, and checked the school’s compliance with the independent school standards. These are the requirements set out in the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014.

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About this inspection

Following our renewed inspection framework, all inspections are now led by His Majesty’s Inspectors (HMIs) or by Ofsted Inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMIs.

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About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with the chair of the proprietor body, who is also the headteacher, with the chair of governors and a selection of staff.

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About this inspection

The lead inspector spoke with a representative from the local authority, leaders from schools that commission places at the provision and the school's improvement partner.

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About this inspection

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the school:

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About this inspection

The chair of the proprietor body is Charlotte Lowe.

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About this inspection

The fees currently charged are £85,000 to £115,000.

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About this inspection

The school's email address is: info@charlottelowepsychologicalservices.co.uk.

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Independent school standards

Independent school standards are either met or not met for each category. The school caters for pupils with a range of special educational needs and/or disabilities, including autism and social, emotional and mental health needs.

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Independent school standards

This was the school's first standard inspection. The school was registered by the Department for Education in January 2025.

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Independent school standards

The school is located at 97 Heaton Street, Standish, Wigan WN6 0DA.

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Independent school standards

The school currently makes use of one alternative provision.

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Independent school standards

1. Quality of education provided Standards met

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Independent school standards

2. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils Standards met

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Independent school standards

3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils Standards met

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Independent school standards

4. Suitability of staff, supply staff, and proprietors Standards met

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Independent school standards

5. Premises of and accommodation at schools Standards met

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Lead inspector:

Andy Cunningham, His Majesty's Inspector

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Facts and figures used on inspection

This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.

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Pupils with an education, health and care (EHC) plan

6. Provision of information Standards met

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Pupils with an education, health and care (EHC) plan

7. Manner in which complaints are handled Standards met

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Pupils with an education, health and care (EHC) plan

8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools Standards met

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other schools can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The school reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The school is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The school needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

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Insufficient evidence

Inspectors were unable to gather reliable enough evidence to grade an evaluation area. This is rare and normally only happens if there are no pupils on roll at the school.

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Insufficient evidence

services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Insufficient evidence

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Insufficient evidence

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Insufficient evidence

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Insufficient evidence

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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